1. Budweiser’s ‘Brotherhood’

If it seemed that advertisers were trying more than ever this year to create Super Bowl commercials in hopes they’d go viral, you were right. Television advertising time during this year’s Super Bowl cost about $3.8 million for 30 seconds. So it’s no longer enough to get consumers to pay attention to your brand for a brief moment during the game. Advertisers want you “liking” and tweeting and sharing their ads long after the game is over.

A number of ads from this year’s game did go viral, including spots by Budweiser, Ram trucks, and Taco Bell. Here’s a look at the six that were most widely shared after the game, according to numbers compiled by Unruly Media, a firm that tracks and analyzes ads.

Why it went viral: Elicits strong, positive emotions.

The beermaker’s ad showing an iconic Clydesdale horse growing up and leaving its owner became the most shared Super Bowl commercial in the 24 hours after Sunday’s game. Since it was posted six days ago, it’s already become the third most shared Super Bowl ad of all time. And it’s even threatening to overtake the top most shared ad ever – Volkswagen’s “The Force.” It currently has around a 1:4 share-to-view ratio, according to Unruly, with 1.8 million shares and 6.5 million views. “It’s not surprising the ad is so popular,” says Dan Best, Unruly’s Planning and International Activation Director. “It’s really taken on board the fact that ads which elicit the strongest, most positive emotions are the most shared. Brotherhood certainly has the form to overtake The Force to become the most shared commercial of all time.”